Hapag-Lloyd Trials Biofuel

German shipping major Hapag-Lloyd announced that one of its ships recently refueled in Rotterdam with an eco-friendly biofuel, as part of its plan to reduce CO2 emissions.

"For the first time, the “Montreal Express” is being powered by so-called “B20” fuel, which consists of 80 percent low-sulfur fuel oil and 20 percent bio-diesel based on cooking oils and fats that had previously been used in the food service/catering industry," said a press note from the container transportation company.

The biodiesel generates up to 90 percent less CO2 emissions than conventional fuels, it said.

With this test, Hapag-Lloyd is taking another step towards reaching its ambitious climate-protection goals.

“By the end of this year, we want to have reduced our specific CO2 emissions by 50 percent compared to the reference year 2008. Biofuels like ‘B20’ can help us reach this target. This is because, in addition to having a low sulfur content, the fuel also emits less climate-damaging CO2 during combustion,” explained Jörg Erdmann, Senior Director Sustainability Management.

Hapag-Lloyd intends to use the test run with the “Montreal Express”, which operates in the St. Lawrence Coordinated Service 2 (AT 2) between Europe and Canada, to gain experience and information on the properties of the fuel in real-world use.

“We are checking to see whether the share of biodiesel has any adverse effects on the equipment and the fuel processing on board the vessel. If the test is successful, more ships from Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet could operate using the ‘B20’ fuel in future,” added Jan Christensen, Senior Director Purchasing & Supply at Hapag-Lloyd.

With a fleet of 231 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 1.7 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world's leading liner shipping companies.